Yesterday we concluded all of our work for Westfield Friends School’s first NJAIS accreditation. Visiting Team Chair, David Lowry (a lifelong Quaker) shared concluding remarks yesterday afternoon. He said three things that made me particularly proud of this school.
First, he stated emphatically that at this school Quaker’s beliefs and practices are woven into the very fabric of the school and are readily apparent. Second, every member of the committee received the same clear message from everyone they spoke to -- from the youngest student to the oldest student, from staff here over 25 years to new teachers, from parents of children at all levels of the school to alums of all ages -- that this school community is wonderful, strong, caring and striving to help to every member thrive. Finally, he shared that parents and guardians are Westfield’s best spokespeople; parents and guardians see the school providing their children what it promises.
A few special shoutouts from me for our successful three-day visit: Thank you to all of the teachers who met with committee members and carried on when they stopped in to observe classes. Thank you to George Meredith, Wayne Dixon, and Teresa Muscarnera for making our spaces clean and beautiful and being named as such by the accreditation committee. Thank you to Cindy Choyce who took such good care of the visiting team members from their hotel stay, to their meals, to the high functionality of the Meeting Social Room. Thank you to Westfield Monthly Meeting for making the Meeting House available and supporting this school as a part of its witness in our community. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for their wisdom, love of this school, and their wonderful balance of fiduciary and visionary governance.
We are blest!
Announcements:
- Our Flash Food Can Drive was extraordinarily successful and will help the Bread of Life Food Pantry provide many families with a Thanksgiving feast.
- I hope you will gather with us for our Thanksgiving Meeting for Worship with an intention to sing and be grateful on Tuesday, November 23rd. You are welcome to join us via ZOOM.
- I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Parents and Guardians Council Meeting this upcoming Tuesday, November 16.
- Today is the last day of the trimester. We hope to have report cards to you by the end of the month.
Sincerely,
Margaret
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What I am reading:
One Big Table By Molly O’Neill (This is a really big and fun cookbook) |
 The Thank You Book Mo Willems (Whimsy is good for the soul) |
Lavinia
By Ursula K. LeGuin
(I first read the Earth Sea Trilogy as a child and am still discovering books by her)
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